"The ransomed soul, in glory clad,
Shines brighter than meridian sun
The weary pilgrim, now so sad,
There finds his toilsome journey done.
Cheer up, O saint, oppressed with grief,
With joy expand your drooping wing;
Jesus affords the kind relief;
Jesus extracts the envenomed sting.
Soon you will reach the blest abode,
Where happy pilgrims ever reign;
Soon shall you see the face of God,
And all the bliss of heaven obtain."

Heaven is a glorious place. Its glory should attract us. How delightful to
think of heavenly glory ! How it raises the soul above earth! Let us soar on
high and view the glory of the New Jerusalem, and of the saints in light. We
have seen that the glory of God and the Lamb irradiates the celestial world.
There, the Sun of Righteousness always shines, and his beams gladden the
hearts of a ransomed host. There God smiles, and the nations of the saved
walk in the light of his countenance. There is one perpetual noontide of
glory in the mansions above. There is glory- "an exceeding and eternal
weight"- reserved in heaven for those who love God.

When the whole assembly of the redeemed shall stand on Mount Zion, they will
shine as the sun in eternal glory. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as
the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Then "those who are wise, shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to
righteousness, as the stars forever." Glory shines in Immanuel's land. The
city, the mansions, the inhabitants, are all glorious. Every believer in
Jesus will be crowned with everlasting glory. Though we could not bear the
effulgence of heaven's glory, should it now beam upon us, yet we know that
when we awake to immortality, that glory shall be revealed in us. We know
that when Christ, our glorious Head, shall appear, we shall be like him; for
we shall see him as he is.

O to be like the blessed Jesus! What heart can desire more? If we are His
people we shall soon be like him. Our bodies shall shine like his– like that
wondrous Personage whose original glory once beamed on Mount Tabor, when his
face shone as the sun, and when this clothing was white as the light. In
heaven, the wonders of Mount Tabor will ever be exhibited; and there the
pure radiance of the Savior's glory will always beam upon redeemed millions!

Who can conceive this blessedness? How desirable, how attractive does it
appear to an immortal mind! From those heights of bliss, every soul will be
ready to exclaim with Peter, "Lord, it is good for its to be here." But more
than that. The saints will be made partakers of the Redeemer's glory." "I
have given them the glory that you gave me" "The Lord will give glory."
Amazing love! that Christ should exalt his followers to such bliss, and
crown them with such glory!

But who can describe the glory of the saints with Christ, contrasted with
which, the splendor of this world is darkness itself! On what John saw in
the revelation of the heavenly world, and of the redeemed in glory, ,in
eloquent living writer (Stephen Tyng) has the following beautiful and
glowing expressions: "The glory of the meridian sun- the intense brightness
of the furnace- the pure radiance of the light- the transparent beauty of
the rainbow- an ocean of gold, translucent as the crystal- precious stones,
of every hue, and of the richest forms- fountains, ever sparkling with
living water- streams, with an unceasing flow of perfect purity- trees of
unchanging verdure, clothed with endless varieties of beautiful fruit-
living beings, of the noblest and most exalted aspect, clad in garments
which earthly art in vain would imitate- music, of the tenderest influence
and of the most overwhelming power; sometimes the single melody of a
heavenly harp and voice, and again flowing forth in a volume of harmony,
like approaching thunders, or the majestic waterfall, or the mysterious
rolling of the sea- a state of being, in its aspect of loveliness, feebly
illustrated by the most perfect bridal beauty and purity of earth. All
these, and many like them, are efforts to express to man the things which he
saw and heard. But they are all in vain. One sentence of his own conclusion
sums up his acknowledged inability to describe the glory of the saints with
Christ– Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it cloth not yet appear
what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like
Him; for we shall see Him as He is."

To see Christ as he is- to behold his glory- to be made a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed- this is heaven; this is the glory of the
saints. It is to this glory that God is "bringing many sons." It is to
"eternal glory" that we are called. God is leading his people to his temple
of glory- to that city where there is no night, and where they need no
candle, neither the light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light, And
they shall reign forever and ever! There, a gracious God will bestow upon us
the "riches of his glory," and we shall shine to all eternity, in the
garments of glory and of beauty. We shall inherit a glorious kingdom, and
wear a glorious crown. Our bodies shall be fashioned like unto Christ's
"glorious body;" and we shall obtain an exceeding and eternal weight of
glory in the smile and presence of God.

In view of our future glory, how insignificant do these present afflictions
appear? "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with
the glory that will be revealed in us." Let the afflicted Christian
remember, that his momentary trials and sufferings here, are preparing for
him a weighty crown of glory hereafter. "For our present troubles are quite
small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably
great glory that will last forever!" How animating is this hope of a
glorious immortality! O joyful hope! It cheers us amid the surrounding gloom
of life; it illuminates our pathway to the tomb; it sheds its radiance
beyond the grave; it enables the believer to exclaim, when he is just
finishing his earthly course, and about to embark upon the boundless ocean
of eternity, "And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return.
And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his
glorious return."

Then, let us run with patience, the race that is set before us, and soon we
shall reach the goal of immortal blessedness; then shall the glory of heaven
gladden our blissful sight, and the streams of Paradise refresh our weary
souls. Let every reader be attracted by the glory of heaven. Let him look to
a bleeding Savior for salvation, and press onward with eagerness to receive
the crown of glory that fades not away!